Just wondered if anyone had heard Sylvain Chauveau's new album Singular Forms (Sometimes Repeated)? He's a French musician who has released mainly instrumental electro-acoustic music. His main vocal release to date, was an album of acoustic Depeche Mode covers. I'm not a huge DM fan, but Chauveau's versions were lovely.
Anyway, his new release Singular Forms, is a vocal album of his own songs, which may be of interest to Sylvian fans. Not least because of a more than passing similarity in the vocals. But more than that......the whole album feels a little like Blemish-Lite. Didn't like the jarring guitars, raw emotions and general lack of melody in Blemish? (I feel I should mention at this point, that Blemish is my favourite DS album ) Then, Chauveau offers you sparse piano, sections of actual melody and lyrics which are melancholic rather than uncomfortably revelatory. It doesn't blow me away like Blemish, but it is a nice album.
Many reviewers are making a big thing of the Sylvian comparisons. Some even saying you can't tell the difference if you don't know it's not him. I can't agree. For me, Chauveau's voice lacks the depth of Sylvian's. If you haven't heard him yet, you can listen here:
http://www.boomkat.com/item.cfm?id=282198
http://www.myspace.com/chauveau